Backstage Blueprint

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About Us

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Who We Are
About Backstage Blueprint

Backstage Blueprint is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to support independent artists in building sustainable, ownership-driven careers.

We believe artists deserve more than exposure; they deserve structure, education, and access to the tools that allow their work to grow into something lasting.

Many musicians are taught how to create, but not how to plan, market, or manage their careers as a business. Backstage Blueprint bridges that gap.

Through guided education, practical resources, and mentorship, we help artists move from uncertainty to clarity so they can make informed decisions, build with intention, and create careers that support their lives.

Our mission is simple: equip artists to take ownership of their careers.
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Janet Chesgreen Razzak, Founder

Janet Chesgreen Razzak is the founder of Backstage Blueprint, a nonprofit dedicated to helping independent artists understand and build the business side of their music.

With over two decades of experience in finance, business planning, and entrepreneurship, Janet has spent her career helping individuals and small business owners create systems that support long-term stability and growth.

Her work as a business counselor at a U.S. Small Business Administration–supported Women’s Business Center focused on business planning as the foundation for sustainable growth. She worked with entrepreneurs to develop structured, realistic business plans—many of which became the basis for financing, while others helped clarify direction, viability, and long-term strategy. During this time, she also developed a six-week business planning workshop that continued to be used beyond her tenure.

Her path into music came not as an artist—but as an observer who recognized something missing.

After years immersed in the live reggae scene, she saw talented artists navigating complex business decisions without the structure, guidance, or financial clarity needed to sustain their careers. What she had spent decades building for businesses was often absent for creatives.
Backstage Blueprint was created to change that.
Through educational resources, workshops, and her book, The Art of Music Business (Reggae Edition), Janet translates practical business knowledge into accessible guidance for artists seeking to build sustainable, ethical, and ownership-centered careers.

She is also the founder of Razzak Creative Group, the publishing company behind her work, which supports and expands these educational initiatives.

Janet lives in New Hampshire and continues her work in finance while developing tools and resources for independent artists and creative entrepreneurs.
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Kizzy Hearn-Riske, Chairwoman

Born Kezia Hearn in the United Kingdom and raised between cultures, Kezia Hearn-Riske—known to most as Kizzy—carries a life shaped by movement, music, and meaning. She emigrated to the United States at the age of 12, a transition that would quietly plant the seeds for a lifelong connection to community and sound.

Her path led her to Colorado State University Pueblo, where she earned her degree in Music—blending formal study with lived musicianship, and developing both the discipline and intuition that continue to guide her work today.

Kizzy’s introduction to the music industry began at the grassroots level, working with the street team for Ky-Mani Marley. That experience immersed her in the pulse of artist promotion and fan connection—the real, unpolished side of how music travels and finds its audience. Through this work, she connected with Susan Underwood of Island Stage Magazine, leading to an administrative role that expanded her understanding of music media, operations, and artist relations behind the scenes.

But Kizzy’s story is not only one of industry—it is one of love, partnership, and shared creation. Alongside her late husband, Dylan Riske, she co-founded a reggae band rooted in community and connection. Together, they performed throughout Colorado for many years, becoming a familiar and respected presence in the local reggae scene. Their music was not just performance—it was expression, memory, and a living bond that continues to echo.

Today, Kizzy brings her journey full circle as a music educator, guiding the next generation with both technical knowledge and lived experience. Her work reflects more than a career—it reflects a calling.

As Chairwoman of Backstage Blueprint, she offers a rare balance of structure and soul: formal training, real-world industry experience, and a deep understanding of what it means to build something that lasts. Her presence at the helm is steady, thoughtful, and rooted in purpose—ensuring that the mission remains not only organized, but alive.